Cardiovascular disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is caused by a gradual build up of fatty deposits in the walls of your coronary arteries, which can then cause them to narrow.

The medical term for this condition is atherosclerosis and the fatty material is known as atheroma.

Over time, the artery may become so narrow that it can’t deliver enough oxygen to your heart, especially when you’re exerting yourself. This can lead to angina – a pain or discomfort in your chest.

If a piece of this fatty material breaks away from the artery wall it can cause a clot to form, which will then starve your heart of blood and oxygen. This is known as a heart attack. 

If you suspect that you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 999 immediately.

What is a stroke?

Your brain is given blood, containing oxygen and nutrients, by the arteries in your neck. If these arteries begin to narrow because of a build up of fatty material, it can affect your blood supply to your brain.

A stroke happens when the artery carrying blood to your brain is blocked, or an artery bleeds into your brain.

Stroke can affect the way your body works and the way you think.

If you suspect that someone is having a stroke, act FAST. FAST helps people recognise the signs of stroke and take immediate action. You can find more information on FAST from the NHS website.

• Facial weakness - can they smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
• Arm weakness - can they raise both arms?
• Speech problems - can they speak clearly and understand what you are saying?
• Time to call 999

For more information on stroke and its symptoms visit the Stroke Association website or call 08450 303 3100.

What causes cardiovascular disease?

The following things can increase your risk:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Physical inactivity
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes
• Family history
• Age - the older you are the more likely you are to develop CVD.
• Ethnicity - certain ethnic groups have a higher risk. South Asian people living in the UK are one and a half times more likely to die from CHD before the age of 75 than the rest of the UK population.

What can I do if I'm worried about developing cardiovascular disease?

You should visit your GP or practice nurse who can assess your risk by carrying out a health check.

Your GP or practice nurse will want to:

• talk to you about your lifestyle
• take your weight, height and waist measurements
• take your blood pressure
• have your blood tested for cholesterol
• ask questions about your family history.

After your check, your GP or practice nurse may give advice to help you make changes to your lifestyle to reduce your risk of heart disease. You can find out more about heart health checks and what your health check score means in our Heart Focus booklet.

How can I prevent heart disease?

Making small changes to your lifestyle can reduce your risk of developing CVD. If you already have the condition the following can help to keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of future problems:

• Stopping smoking
• Controlling high blood pressure
• Reducing your cholesterol level
• Being physically active
• Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
• Controlling your blood glucose if you have diabetes
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet and only drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.

Take our lifestyle check to see how well you score in different areas of your lifestyle and what you can do to improve your heart health.   

I've got a heart problem already, is there any treatment? 

You may have been prescribed medication or recommended to have treatment to help control your symptoms and reduce the risk of further problems. You can also help to protect your heart by living a healthy lifestyle.

I'm a woman, am I at risk?

If it had been my husband having the pain, not me, I’m sure someone might have thought of a possible heart attack.

There’s a misconception that heart disease affects only men, whereas it actually affects nearly as many women. Women are three times more likely to die of coronary heart disease than breast cancer. It’s important to be aware of the causes and the symptoms of angina or a heart attack.

For more information see our women and heart disease page, or read our booklet.

If you think you are having a heart attack don't delay calling 999 - because you think it can't happen to you, or you don't want to cause a fuss.

If you are over 40, talk to your GP about having a health check to assess your risk of developing CVD or if you've had a heart event, find out how a cardiac rehabilitation programme could help you.

More information

Find out more about preventing heart disease by reading Keep your heart healthy and Looking after your heart (for south asian people) booklets, or by ordering our Risking It or Living to prevent heart disease DVDs.

Read heart matters online magazine for support on how to keep your heart healthy and to read other people’s stories of living with heart disease.